William muephy



Ntra STATES' PATENT OFF-ICE.

WILLIAM MURPHY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LETTER-ENVELOPE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,7 55, dated June 2, 1863.

To all whom it may concern :v

Be it known that I, INILLIAM MURPHY, of the city, county, and Stat-e of New York, have invented a new and Improved Letter Envelope; and I do hereby declare that the fol` lowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the .aecompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a plan or top view of my invention when unfolded. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same when partially' folded. Fig. 3 is a similar view ofthe same when completely folded ready for sealin g.

Similar letters of reference in the three views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention is intended as an improvement to that class of combined note sheets and envelopes for which Letters Patent have been granted to Elias B. Gleason March 15, 1859.

The object of this invention is to produce a letter-sheet which can be conveniently folded up and sealed the same as an ordinary envelope, and which can be out out with little waste of paper, and its whole surface, or nearly so, can be made available for writing.

The invention consists, first, in extending the side flaps over the whole width of the sheet and overlapping the same with or without gum, in such a manner that said side flaps, before folding, form an essential part of the letter-sheet to be written upon, the same as the central portion or body of the sheet, and that the contents of the letter, when .the same is folded, cannot be read by pressing` the edges of the letter and peering in sidewise. It consists, second, in the arrangement of marks or notches at the end of the side flaps and opposite to the head flap in such a manner that in folding over the side iiaps, two points are provided to serve as guides in creasing, one point being the junction of the head and side flap, and the other the notch or mark opposite to that junction, and thereby the operation of foldingthe letter is rendered easy.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a sheet of paper provided with a ap, a, at its head, similar to the closing flap of an ordinary envelope. This flap occupies the middle portion of the sheet, and it extends over less than one-half its full length, leaving room for the side flaps, b b', one on either side, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. These side aps extend down over the full width ofthe sheet, and they form an essential part of said sheet, being intended to be written upon the same as the central portion or body, o, of the sheet. The width of the fla-ps b b is such that when the same are folded according to the lines d e and f g theedge of the flap b overlaps that of the flap b', as clearly indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and when the edge of the flap b is provided with gmn, the two iaps can be firmly united.

The operation of creasing or folding the side aps, b b', is facilitated by notches or marks e g right opposite to the points tlf, where the head iiap, d, joins the side iiaps, b b. The lines d e and f g are thus clearly defined before folding the sheet, and the operation of folding can be accomplished with accuracy and without loss of time. The marks e g are made either by cutting out a small portion ofthe sheet, as shown in Fig. 1, or marks of any other description might be used with equal advantage.

By these improvements the employment of the letter-envelope is rendered cheap and convenient, the whole sheet, with the exception of the head flap, a, can be used for writing upon, and in folding the letter the marks e g form guides whereby the creasing of the sheet can be accomplished perfectly, accurately, and without trouble or loss of time.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Overlapping the iiaps b b/ with or without gum, when the same extend over the whole width of the sheet A, as and for the purpose shown and described.

2. The arrangement of marks e g opposite the points flf, where the head Hap, a, joins the side flaps, b b, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM MURPHY. Witnesses:

M. S. PARTRIDGE, DANIEL ROBERTSON. 

